Earl Nickel,Curious Plantsman Young children are natural gardeners. They love to be outside, love to stick their hands in the dirt, love to see something they are a part of…
Latest posts
Natives!
Earl Nickel,The Curious Plantsman February throughout much of the country is a time of rest or winter prep for gardeners but here in the more temperate regions of the Bay…
The Joy Of Planting Fall Bulbs!
Ahh, the joy of planting fall bulbs! It’s one of the most exciting times for us at The Starter Farm in Santa Ynez, California. We plant thousands of bulbs, tubers…
Mediterranean Style Gardens – CA Natives & Other Summer Dry Favorites
Though Bay Area weather forecasters continue to characterize our prolonged dry spells as a drought, it is best to remember that we live in a Mediterranean climate, one defined by…
Summer Vines
Earl Nickel,The Curious Plantsman As spring approaches summer, many a gardener begins thinking about summer blooming plants like flowering maples (Abutilon), Yarrows (Achillea), Snapdragons (Antirrhinum), Carnations (Dianthus) and Dahlias. This…
California Native Caterpillars & Their Host Plants
Earl Nickel,The Curious Plantsman As conscientious gardeners, many of us have added plants that attract pollinators to our corners of paradise. This includes butterflies of many kinds, including the well-known…
Romantic Plants
Earl Nickel,Curious Plantsman Through the ages, flowers have played a pivotal place in the history of romance. Whether given as an open gift of love, slipped surreptitiously to a lover…
The Importance of Fall Planting and What to Plant Now.
Earl Nickel,Curious Plantsman As summer blooms start to wind down and the days gradually get shorter, many gardeners tend to step back from their gardens. But actually fall is one…
Planting a Bird Garden
Earl Nickel,Curious Plantsman If you’re a birder and a gardener, you may have thought to yourself ‘Is there a way I can attract more birds to my garden?’ And the…
Low Growing Succulents
Earl Nickel,Curious Plantsman The world of succulents is immense and varied but one of the most popular uses for these drought tolerant denizens is as a low ground cover. Whether…